Learning that is accomplished best through meaning rather than rote memorization

Ability to get the “big picture”

A high level of understanding of what is read to him

The ability to read and to understand at a high level overlearned (that is, highly practiced) words in a special area of interest; for example, if his hobby is restoring cars, he may be able to read auto mechanic magazines

Improvement as an area of interest becomes more specialized and focused, when he develops a miniature vocabulary that he can read

A surprisingly sophisticated listening vocabulary

Excellence in areas not dependent on reading, such as math, computers, and visual arts, or excellence in more conceptual (versus factoid-driven) subjects, such as philosophy, biology, social studies, neuroscience, and creative writing

Young Adults & Adults

Reading

A childhood history of reading and spelling difficulties

While reading skills have developed over time, reading still requires great effort and is done at a slow pace

Rarely reads for pleasure

Slow reading of most materials—books, manuals, subtitles in films

Avoids reading aloud

Speaking

Not fluent, not glib, often anxious while speaking

Pausing or hesitating often when speaking

using lots of “um’s” during speaking, lack of glibness

using imprecise language, for example, “stuff,” “things,” instead of the proper name of an object

Often pronounces the names of people and places incorrectly; trips over parts of words

Difficulty remembering names of people and places; confuses names that sound alike

Struggles to retrieve words; has the “it was on the tip of my tongue” moment frequently

Rarely has a fast response in conversations and/or writing; struggles when put on the spot

Spoken vocabulary is smaller than listening vocabulary

Avoids saying words that might be mispronounced

Earlier oral language difficulties persist

School & Life

Despite good grades, will often say that she is dumb or is concerned that peers think that she is dumb

Penalized by multiple-choice tests

Frequently sacrifices social life for studying

Suffers extreme fatigue when reading

Performs rote clerical tasks poorly

Strengths

The maintenance of strengths noted in the school-age period

A high learning capability

A noticeable improvement when given additional time on multiple-choice examinations

Noticeable excellence when focused on a highly specialized area, such as medicine, law, public policy, finance, architecture, or basic science

Excellence in writing if content and not spelling are important

A noticeable articulateness in the expression of ideas and feelings

Exceptional empathy and warmth, and feeling for others

Success in areas not dependent on rote memory

A talent for high-level conceptualization and the ability to come up with original insights